Van Halen unveils new tour with Roth aboard!!
Veteran rockers Van Halen unveiled plans on Monday for a tour with original lead singer David Lee Roth returning to the stage. In a video posted on the band’s website, http://www.van-halen.com, Eddie Van Halen, brother Alex and son Wolfgang play the hit “Panama” while Roth runs around on stage. Underneath reads “Van Halen On Tour 2012” with tickets going on sale January 10. No other details were announced, but the video confirms music industry buzz that the band is together again with Roth. An album is said to be in the works, too, after Van Halen signed a record deal in November.
A separate posting on the Van Halen News Desk website said the video was shot at the Roxy Theatre along Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip while the band performed “a brand-new song.” The news site speculated about a possible February release date for a new song or album, and said the record was produced by Ross Hogarth. It is the band’s first full album with Roth since the CD “1984,” which was released on December 31, 1983. Van Halen’s relationship with Roth has been a stormy one over the years. Roth left the band in a bitter breakup in 1985, only to rejoin for a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1996, then quickly depart in another bitter split. He returned to Van Halen for a tour in 2007-2008.
The band, whose early hits include “Runnin’ With the Devil” and “Dance the Night Away,” was among the leading rock acts of the late 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s when Sammy Hagar replaced Roth as singer. Michael Anthony was the original bassist, but alongside Hagar he has joined another band, Chickenfoot. Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie’s son, took over on base.
Van Halen – Panama
Notice Roth and Van Halen both fighting for center stage in this music video! Roth was too hot and too tall for his own good! The lead vocalist and guitarist is ALWAYS the FRONTMAN. If he was a guitarist for the band as well that would have been too much to take. LOL Eddie’s the boss!!
Van Halen – Running With The Devil
In the eyes of countless hard rock fans like myself, David Lee Roth is the prototypical frontman. With a flamboyant, larger than life stage presence, acrobatic leaps, long mane of blond hair, bare chested and skintight spandex outfits, Roth was an integral part of Van Halen’s meteoric rise to global dominance from 1978 through 1984. Come on now, how many women didn’t lust after David Lee Roth and want to put a notch like that on your belt before dying?? He exuded animal sex appeal like no other!! What I wouldn’t have done to bring a guy like that home to my family for the Holidays!! I’d have been in seventh heaven but the reaction of my entire family alone would have been worth all of the gold in China! LOL 🙂
I’ll never forget how Eddie Van Halen asked my friend Emma for a cigarette when she was smoking outside of work one day in NYC. She had no idea who he was and he introduced himself as Ed. After she told him what kind of work she did he told her that he played in a rock band. She said I never heard of you, do you ever get any good gigs or have I heard of any songs from your band?? He apparently named a few big hits and she said sorry doesn’t ring a bell. Then he said, as a matter of fact I am playing at the Garden tonight, and here is my number at the Plaza if you want to come backstage and bring some friends to the concert tonight. As soon as she came back from lunch she told me that she was out at lunch smoking with an Ed Van something who plays rock music and did I ever hear of him. I said EDDIE VAN HALEN and she said, yeah that’s him but he introduced himself as Ed. I nearly fell off my chair! I had only been his biggest fan for years. I made her get on the phone immediately and call the number for tickets to the show!! He knew that once she told someone who he was he would be hearing from her sooner than later! He was teasing her on the phone about her sudden interest in his “unknown” music. Needless to say, we had the best time at the show and backstage!! That is one of the many reasons why Van Halen is my favorite to this day!! Can’t wait for the 2012 Tour with former frontman David Lee Roth!!